What types of duties did women in uniform perform during World War II?

1 Answer
Mar 13, 2016

While women served in uniform in many countries, almost all countries chose to keep them in auxiliary/support functions.

Explanation:

Generally, in the Second World War, most countries were prepared to accept having women in uniform but most countries were reluctant to see them in combat roles. However, the frantic need for manpower did change this... sometimes.

Almost all major combatants (except Japan) accepted women in administrative, rear-services communications, and medical roles outside of the front-line. The US and UK even had women pilots to shuttle aircraft from North America to Europe.

The Soviet Union, desperately short of manpower, accepted women who volunteered for combat roles and 95 of them (50 posthumously) won the award "Hero of the Soviet Union" -- many of them as combat medics, pilots, snipers, and even tank crew. The UK eventually had female anti-aircraft gunners serving in Great Britain itself.

Guerrilla/partisan forces often included many women, particularly in the USSR. The British SOE (Special Operations Executive) also dropped many female agents into Occupied Europe -- some of whom displayed extraordinary courage. Many Resistance networks in Europe and Asia included women.

The SS did have some female Concentration Camp Guards. On the other side of the coin, many of the bravest of the brave (later honoured by Israel as "Righteous Among the Nations") were those who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust. Many women are numbered among them.